1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a covering that is used to protect a prefabricated home as it is being transported.
2. Description of the Related Art
The prefabricated home industry is an important part of the construction industry. Prefabricated homes are more affordable and are more attractively priced for first-time home buyers. They are unique in the construction industry since the majority of the home is built off of the actual lot where the home is set.
Transportation of a prefabricated home is done in sections and requires the transported home to be protected from the elements as it arrives to its final destination. This and similar protection is also reflected in the related art.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,871,571 issued to Weber, outlines the use of a waterproof covering sheet or tarpaulin. This tarpaulin can be used to cover and protect various objects on both land and sea. These tarpaulins are usually relatively large and are comparatively expensive due to the amount of canvas required for their construction.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,455,237 issued to Davis, outlines the use of a cargo blanket that serves as a cover for protecting and securing cargo on aircraft and other carriers. The cargo blanket is a securing cover which could be extended or reduced to secure loads of different shapes and is amply strong to hold cargo firmly in place.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,521,927 issued to Davis, outlines the use of a flexible polyethylene cover of lightweight construction for an open-topped piggyback trailer, where the cover has draped portions along the four sides, the cover being supported by straps running transversely to the trailer and extending beyond the cover for tie-down connection on the vertical side of the trailer. The straps are connected to the cover using polyethylene strips, with each strip sealed along its side to the cover and confines a given strap.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,791,665 issued to McAvoy, outlines the use of a cover assembly of the type designed for use in combination with house trailers, mobile homes and the like. The assembly is made up of one or more skirt-like structures attached about the lower, outer peripheral portion of a house trailer and is dimensioned to extend from this portion, vertically downward to approximately the supporting surface on which the mobile home is positioned. The skirt structure is made from a flexible open-meshed material capable of allowing air to pass therethrough and be rolled upon itself when removed from the mobile home.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,505,512 issued to Schmeichel et al., outlines the use of a roll-up tarp assembly for an open truck box or trailer. The roll-up tarp assembly includes a tarp made from a flexible material. The tarp is securely attached along one side to the top of the truck securely attached to the top of the truck box. The other side of the tarp is attached to a roll bar by a plurality of flexible straps. A crank apparatus connected to the roll bar by a U-joint and collar assembly is utilized to roll the tubular member transversely of the truck box opening so as to enclose the truck box with the tarp or uncover the truck box.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,691,957 issued to Ellingson, outlines a tarp assembly for covering an open top of a truck trailer. The tarp has a longitudinal edge fixed to one side of the trailer. A roll bar secured to the free edge of the tarp is rotated with a crank rod to roll the tarp to an open position and unroll the tarp to a closed position. A hold bar fixed to the free edge of the tarp with a plurality of straps is adapted to engage hooks secured to a side of the trailer to hold the tarp in a closed position.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,224,139 issued to Weyand, outlines the use of a tarpaulin cover having a fabric cover sheet which has an elastic band extending around portions of its perimeter and contained in a hem. A number of spaced cutouts are provided along the hem for exposing the elastic band for tie down hooking and unhooking access. Opposite ends of the elastic cord are secured within the hem around respective rivets that in turn are secured to and passed through the hem with respective terminating ends of the elastic cord secured to itself, whereby opposite terminating loop ends of the elastic cord are secured respectively within the hem around these rivets.
Although each of these patents outline inventions that are useful and novel, what is really needed is a reusable protective covering that is used to protect a prefabricated home as it is being transported. The prefabricated home industry is growing in popularity and would benefit greatly from such an invention.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singularly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus a prefabricated home covering solving the aforementioned problems is desired.